Viola plant named &#39;Sweetheart&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Viola  plant named ‘Sweetheart’ that is distinguishable by compact basally branching habit, medium to large single blooms which are predominantly cream-yellow in color, fringed with lavender-blue margins, and flowers which are heavily pleasantly fragrant. ‘Sweetheart’ is hardy in USDA Zone 5 and blooms from early spring through fall.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/125,278 filed on Jan. 16, 2015, entitled Viola Plants Named ‘Amy’, ‘Bonny’, ‘Sunny Jim’, ‘Sweetheart’, and ‘Blue Sails’.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Viola×hybrida

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Sweetheart’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Viola, botanically known as Viola×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘Sweetheart’. ‘Sweetheart’ originated and was selected from a large population of hybrid seedlings from an open-pollinated Viola breeding program which was started by the inventor in 2010. The breeding program was conducted in a greenhouse nursery in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. The aims of the breeding program were to produce a series of new Viola varieties exhibiting a range of flower colors borne on vigorous plants which are highly scented.

In spring 2011, the inventor organized open-pollination using combinations of selected unnamed and unreleased seedlings retained from previous breeding cycles. The male and female parents of ‘Sweetheart’ are unknown. Seeds were harvested in late summer 2011, sown and grown over winter as seedlings which flowered in spring 2012. ‘Sweetheart’ was selected by the inventor in spring 2012. The inventor selected ‘Sweetheart’ together with the inventor's varieties ‘Amy’, ‘Bonny’, ‘Sunny Jim’ for their close similarity in plant habit and flower size and in order to create a consistent and uniform series.

‘Sweetheart’ was first vegetatively propagated by the inventors in spring 2012 using asexual shoot cuttings. ‘Sweetheart’ has been found to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

SUMMARY

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the distinguishing characteristics of the new Viola cultivar named ‘Sweetheart’. ‘Sweetheart’ has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, however, without any variance in genotype.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.

1. ‘Sweetheart’ exhibits a naturally basally self-branching plant habit.

2. The foliage mound of ‘Sweetheart’ is 10 cm in height and 15 cm in diameter in its first season of flowering.

3. ‘Sweetheart’ exhibits medium to large single blooms which are predominantly cream-yellow in color, fringed with lavender-blue margins.

4. The flowers of ‘Sweetheart’ reach 3.8 cm in diameter.

5. ‘Sweetheart’ blooms are heavily pleasantly fragrant.

6. ‘Sweetheart’ does not require vernalization to initiate flowers.

7. ‘Sweetheart’ blooms continually from spring until fall.

8. ‘Sweetheaert’ is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The new Viola plant ‘Sweetheart’ is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show each plant's overall plant habit including form, foliage, and flowers. The photographs are of plants 10 weeks in age grown in outdoor conditions. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs were made from a plant which has been grown outdoors in Oxnard, Calif. No pinching or chemical growth regulators have been employed. The photographs were made using conventional techniques and although flower and foliage color may appear different from actual color due to light reflectance, they are as accurate as possible by conventional photography.

FIG. 1 shows a whole plant of ‘Sweetheart’ in flower.

FIG. 2 depicts a close-up view of a flower on the plant shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a whole plant of ‘Sweetheart’ in flower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following is a detailed botanical description of the new Viola cultivar named ‘Sweetheart’. Observations and measurements were collected in September 2015 from 12-week-old plants which were growing in 1-gallon containers out of doors in Oxnard, Calif. Color determinations were made in accordance with the 2007 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart from London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification:     -   -   Family.—Violaceae.         -   Genus.—Viola.         -   Species.—×hybrida.         -   Common name.—Violet. -   Plant:     -   -   Habit.—Compact.         -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Use.—As planted containers and in the landscape.         -   Propagation method.—Shoot cuttings.         -   Rooting system.—Fine and fibrous.         -   Vigor.—Moderate.         -   Time to develop roots (range).—14 to 20 days to develop             roots on an initial cutting.         -   Temperature to develop roots.—The recommended air             temperature is 20 to 21 degrees Centigrade.         -   Crop time (range).—Under spring and summer growing             conditions, ‘Sweetheart’ will flower in a container after 10             weeks of growing from an unrooted cutting.         -   Vernalization requirement for flowering.—None.         -   Plant dimensions.—Foliage mound is 10 cm in height and 15 cm             diameter. Flowers are borne at 10 cm to 15 cm above the             foliage.         -   Cultural requirements.—Consistently moist soil or container             medium.         -   Pest or disease resistance or susceptibility.—No particular             disease or pest resistance or susceptibility is known to the             inventor.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 5. -   Parentage: Viola×hybrida ‘Sweetheart’ is a hybrid seedling selection     that resulted from the open-pollination of unknown parents. -   Stem:     -   -   Branching.—Vigorously basally self-branching and spreading.             20 to 25 branch stems have been observed in the first             growing season.         -   Stem color.—N144C.         -   Stem length (average).—8 cm to 10 cm.         -   Stem diameter.—0.3 cm.         -   Stem shape.—Cylindrical.         -   Stem surface.—Glabrous. -   Foliage:     -   -   Type.—Evergreen.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf quantity.—Approximately 12 to 16 per stem.         -   Internode distance.—0.75 cm to 1.0 cm.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Leaf shape.—Ovate.         -   Leaf length (range).—2.0 cm to 3.5 cm.         -   Leaf width (range).—1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.         -   Leaf color (abaxial surface).—137C.         -   Leaf color (adaxial surface).—137A.         -   Leaf base.—Rounded.         -   Leaf apex.—Rounded.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Vein color (abaxial and adaxial surfaces).—137C.         -   Leaf surface (abaxial and adaxial).—Glabrous.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Petiole color.—138B.         -   Petiole dimensions.—0.5 cm to 1.0 cm in length and 1 mm in             width.         -   Petiole shape.—Sulcate.         -   Petiole surface.—Glabrous. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Inflorescence.—Solitary terminal flower consisting of five             petals.         -   Inflorescence quantity (peak flowering).—20 to 30 fully             expanded flowers at one time.         -   Aspect (range).—Facing outward to pendant when aging.         -   Inflorescence width.—3.5 cm to 3.75 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—4.0 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth.—2.0 cm.         -   Inflorescence shape.—Rotate.         -   Blooming seasons.—Early spring through fall.         -   Inflorescence self-cleaning or persistent.—Self-cleaning.         -   Inflorescence fragrance.—Pronounced fragrance,             characteristic of the perfume of violets.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence on the plant.—5 to 7 days.         -   Peduncle length (range).—10 cm to 15 cm.         -   Peduncle width.—3 mm.         -   Peduncle shape.—Cylindrical.         -   Peduncle surface.—Glabrous.         -   Peduncle color.—144B.         -   Peduncle strength.—Stiff, wiry.         -   Bud color.—143C.         -   Bud shape.—Mostly cylindrical with rounded apex.         -   Bud dimensions (average).—1.30 cm in length and 0.40 cm in             width.         -   Bud surface.—Glabrous.         -   Corolla tube depth.—6 mm.         -   Petal quantity.—5, consisting of 2 upper petals, 2 lateral             petals, and 1 lower petal.         -   Upper petals (two).—Petal shape: Reniform. Petals fused or             unfused: Unfused. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal base: Truncate             to cuneate. Petal margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal             length: 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm. Petal width: 2.0 cm to 2.5 cm.             Petal color (both surfaces): Ranges between 155A and 2D             except margins 93B. Veins: (visible on adaxial surface             only): Color: 93B. Petal surface (both surfaces): Glabrous.         -   Lateral petals (two).—Petal shape: Reniform. Petals fused or             unfused: Fused. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal base: Truncate.             Petal margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal length: 1.2             cm to 1.5 cm. Petal width: 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Petal color             (both surfaces): Ranges between 155A and 2D except margins             93B. Veins: (visible on adaxial surface only): Color: 93B.             Petal surface (both surfaces): Glabrous.         -   Lower petal (one).—Petal shape: Obcordate. Petal apex:             Emarginate. Fully developed petal exhibits broad notch at             apex. Depth of notch: 0.3 cm. Petal base: Truncate. Petal             margin: Entire, lightly undulating. Petal length: 1.5 cm to             1.7 cm. Petal width: 2.0 cm to 2.2 cm. Petal color (both             surfaces): Ranges between 155A and 2D except margins 93B.             Lower petal base 14A towards base forming the flower eye.             Veins: (visible on adaxial surface only): Color: 93B. Petal             surface (both surfaces): Glabrous.         -   Calyx shape.—Stellate.         -   Calyx diameter.—2 cm.         -   Sepals.—5 in number.         -   Sepal dimensions.—7 mm to 10 mm in length and 3 mm to 4 mm             in width at base.         -   Fused or unfused.—Sepals unfused.         -   Sepal color (both surfaces).—138A.         -   Sepal apex.—Acuminate.         -   Sepal base.—Truncate.         -   Sepal surface.—Glabrous.         -   Sepal margin.—Entire.         -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Nectar spur.—Characteristic of Viola cornuta. Protrudes             through calyx, length 14 mm, diameter 3 mm tapering to 1 mm             at apex.         -   Spur color.—155A becoming 93B at apex.         -   Spur apex shape.—Rounded. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen quantity.—5 joined around ovary.         -   Stamen length.—4 mm.         -   Stamen color.—145D.         -   Anther shape and dimensions.—Ellipsoid, 3.5 mm in length,             2.0 mm in width.         -   Anther color.—164A.         -   Pollen color.—155C.         -   Pollen quantity.—Moderate.         -   Pistil quantity.—1.         -   Pistil height.—6.5 mm.         -   Style height.—1 mm.         -   Style color.—N144A.         -   Stigma dimensions.—Less than 1 mm in height and 1 mm in             diameter.         -   Stigma color.—N144A.         -   Stigma shape.—Globular.         -   Stigma surface.—Glandular.         -   Ovary position.—Superior.         -   Ovary color.—N144A.         -   Ovary shape.—Dome-shaped.         -   Ovary dimensions.—6 mm in height and 3 mm in width. -   Fruit and seed:     -   -   Fruit.—Trilocular capsule, length 8 mm to 10 mm, diameter 5             mm, color (mature) 162A. Capsule explodes to expose three             boat-shaped valves, 6 mm in length, 3 mm in width.         -   Seeds.—Quantity ranges from 10 to 30 seeds per valve. Seed             shape, dimensions and color: Globose, 1 mm in diameter,             color 164A.

COMPARISON TO COMMERCIAL VARIETY

The closest comparison plant in commerce known to the inventor is Viola ‘Etain’ (unpatented) which the inventor has known and grown for many years. In comparison with ‘Etain’, ‘Sweetheart’ is markedly more branching, more floriferous and more fragrant. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Viola plant named ‘Sweetheart’ as described and illustrated herein. 